


Like Holy Ground

by Cupcakemolotov



Series: Dance with the Devil [43]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bathtub Sex, Blood Sharing, Bondage, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Mirror Sex, Romantic Fluff, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-29 06:49:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15724161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupcakemolotov/pseuds/Cupcakemolotov
Summary: Caroline hopes that a little time spent with Klaus in the Swiss Alps will give her the push she needs to admit to those pesky feelings that keep growing.





	Like Holy Ground

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Angelikah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelikah/gifts).



> Written as a belated birthday fic for Angelikah. Hope you love it, Angie!

 

* * *

 

Caroline wondered if it should be weird, being so comfortable in Klaus' space. Particularly when he wasn't there. She'd breezed in only an hour or so earlier to find him dressed in a lovely suit and wearing an annoyed expression. Studying the pink of her pedicure, she sank a little deeper into the heat of the bath at the memory of the heat in his gaze as she'd taken her things into his room. She hadn't seen the point or even wanted to consider pretending that she'd planned on spending any time in bed alone. She'd known that Klaus wouldn't have any objections, but the lick of nerves had been there anyway. The curling, private smile as he'd assisted her carry her things had left her skin prickling.  

Not for the first time did Caroline find herself admitting that she was in deep.

It was why she'd agreed to meet him here in a pretty chalet in the Swiss Alps for just the two of them. A romantic getaway without the usual lure of an adventure or even a carefully orchestrated meet-up. Knowingly and with forethought, she'd come to spend time with him.

Just him.

Caroline hadn't expected the house to be so quiet once he'd left and certainly hadn't thought to find herself alone with the tangle of her emotions so soon after seeing him again. Usually by now she'd have been naked for an hour or two and thinking wouldn't have been a concern. Her toes curled at the thought of how they usually greeted each other, and arousal sat low and heavy in her belly.

Blowing out a breath, she reached for the wine glass she'd left next to the tub. She'd scrounge around and found one of Klaus' expensive bottles of wine and dug out her e-reader, determined to enjoy the absolutely perfect bathtub in the master en suite as a suitable distraction from her lack of orgasms. But while the wine was perfect she hadn't bothered to look at her collection of books.

Instead, she found herself contemplating the relationship that hadn't exactly snuck up on her, but one she hadn't really been expecting to want, just yet. Six decades had come and gone since they'd run into each other in Italy. It was a memory she was inordinately fond of and she chose to believe they'd been equally surprised to see each other. He'd recovered faster, gaze brightening with a familiar warmth, but his eyes had narrowed as he'd realized she was on a date.

They'd been at an art auction. Caroline had gone mostly just to see what kind of money really got thrown around at such events, but Klaus had clearly taken her date as a personal affront. It'd been a strain not to roll her eyes every time he'd very deliberately outbid her companion. She'd been sorely tempted to goad him into bidding on a few truly terrible works of art just to see how committed Klaus was to being petty, but she'd refrained.

Barely.

Later that night he'd shown up at her hotel room with her favorite piece from the day. A gift, he'd murmured, eyes full of glittering amusement. She should've been annoyed. Instead she'd been intrigued. He'd had been dimpled, rumpled, and utterly focused on her. Her memory of him in a full tux had clearly faded just enough that the sight of him had left her mouth bone dry. It wasn't that Caroline had forgotten how ruthless he could be or discounted the violence he offered as easily as he charmed, but it'd been a long time since she'd let other people make choices for her.

Instead of pushing him away she'd sighed and let him buy her a drink. A century under her belt had given her some understanding of the worlds he'd once told her but she'd worked hard to never lose herself. Klaus had seemed to delight in it, in her, and when he left it had been with a kiss on her cheek and a promise to see her again soon.

She'd kept the painting.

Months later, and she'd found herself allowing him to coax her into meeting him in Vienna at a little art gallery he'd thought she'd love. Next, he'd bumped into her in Piedmont, Italy and Caroline had learned more about Barlo wine than any one person needed to know. Later that night, she'd re-learned all the ways she could drive Klaus crazy with her mouth. He'd returned the favor, and while Barlo would never be her favorite, she had a soft spot for the vineyards. The following year they'd spent a weekend in New York exploring each other and the city, and then a week in Mexico City where he'd teased her with Spanish and while his fingers had skimmed beneath her skirt. Rio was a blur of sex and beaches and a bar fight that had left her sucking blood from his tongue. He'd shown her bits and pieces of being in his world, inside and outside the hotel rooms they'd shared, and she'd let him.

After a while, Caroline had stopped marking their time together so closely, had taken to inviting him along on her trips instead of waiting for him to show up. His smile had dug into her skin and something had shifted around in her chest the first time she'd asked him if he was busy. When they met up, sometimes Klaus had to leave early to deal with a errant witch problem one of siblings created, but usually it was Caroline who walked away first.

But lately, she'd lingered.

Her first real century as a vampire had been spent with her human connections breaking one by one, and while Caroline had treasured those memories and was glad she'd made them, she'd enjoyed stretching her legs and exploring the world. Bonnie was her only true connection to her childhood, and when they'd talked last week she and Enzo were back in Thailand. Her best friend had spent a century shacked up with a vampire, so while she still pretty much hated Klaus, Bonnie had told her to do what made her happy. It was similar to the conversation they'd had all those centuries ago when they'd broken Elena's curse.

Be happy.

Caroline had left and found parts of herself she hadn't known she'd needed, and learned that couldn't live for other people anymore. But living for yourself was daunting and freeing and terrifying. Klaus had seemed to understand that without her having to say a word, and while he pushed, he never pressured. He'd clearly never been satisfied but he was also unwilling to force.

It had always left her a little wary at how much she'd needed that. After Tyler, after Stefan. The one defining factor in her life had always been watching the people in her life walk away from her. Except for Klaus.

It'd steadied her in ways she couldn't define. Caroline refused to let him define her and she'd refused to let him be a crutch. But to grow into herself and to find him just as fascinated, just as willing as when she'd been eighteen?

It had been more than a little bit addicting.

Their last adventure in Cambodia had lasted nearly a month. Klaus had started a small war with some witches and she'd found herself dragged into it. Unwillingly and with a multitude of complaints, Klaus had promised to make it up to her as he'd carefully plucked spiderwebs from her hair. Those promises had been explicit in their details and he'd kept every one of them. She had felt it only fair as they had spent close to four days hunting through the jungle. In the end, Caroline had had zero qualms about the murdering that had followed. She'd even growled a suggestion or two.

There had been one or two episodes of Monster Inside Me as a teenager and she'd never be comfortable in that much nature, vampire or not.

The week they'd spent in a hotel had definitely made up for the grit and grime.

But that had been nearly six months ago, and she'd done some serious thinking during those months. Cambodia had been a jungle hell but it'd also been weirdly fun. Because she'd been with Klaus. Short on blood and her temper scraped raw, the monster had been free to play. And when it was over, when she'd tucked herself back into the mirage of the girl, he'd never stopped looking at her as if she was magnificent. Monster, girl, everything in between, and he took what she gave and held open greedy hands for more.

And now she was in Switzerland.

Caroline had admitted that this trip was different. She wanted it to be different. If she could only finally figure out how to actually admit that she was ready to start moving in more of a couple-y direction. She refused to call it dating, even though they'd sort of being doing that, however loosely she'd defined it in her head. Labeling what they had always seemed daunting, a land of no return, but she'd realized she wanted it. No more biting the tip of her tongue when other women touched him. Caroline didn't want to spend spend weeks adjusting to the cold side of her bed once she'd left. She was finally willing to admit she missed him and that she wanted him, monsters and all. She just hadn't figured out how to say it.

Head tipping back, she pushed a frizzy curl away from her face impatiently. Klaus, she was certain, had never doubted the existence of her feelings for him for all that he'd let her set the pace. Arrogant, aggravating man.

Huffing out a breath, Caroline took another long sip of her wine. It was silly to be nervous when she knew Klaus wasn't going to reject her, that she'd only ever had to reach out to find his hand waiting on hers, but that had never stopped the nervous worrying. She'd fretted and debated and soul searched.

She knew that letting Klaus in would be wonderful and terrible and everything in between. It would be everything she wanted and nothing she could imagine and she could never fully walk away once she took that step. Klaus wouldn't let her and her monster that was as greedy and violent and hungry as his wouldn't want to either. The darker parts of her had always wanted him. But it had taken the girl, the human parts of her that were as important as the monster, a long time to be okay with him. With them. With what they could be and what they were.

But Caroline thought she was finally ready to go after what he'd promised her. Last love. Eternity. All of it.

If only should get the words off the tip of her tongue.

She froze when she heard a door open downstairs, followed by clipped, bitten-off words as Klaus argued with someone on the phone. Caroline tried to parse through the French but while her grasp of the language was getting better, his words were too quick. His tone, however, was very familiar, and she wondered what had gone wrong. The sound of him coming up the stairs at a quick pace as he hung up had both of her brows arching, particularly when she caught the faintest hint of blood.

"Klaus?" The smell of blood immediately become stronger, and she blinked when he appeared in the doorway. His tie and jacket were missing, blood splattered across his once pristine shirt, and the veins beneath his eyes were still prominent.

It was a look that worked for her. Her pulse quickened as Klaus slowly took her in, his gaze drifting over her messy hair and exposed, heat-flushed skin. She tried to remember if he'd given her more than a cursory explanation of his meeting as he headed, but she'd distracted by the way he'd pressed his mouth to hers in a toe curling goodbye. She supposed it didn't matter. It clearly hadn't lasted long.

Setting aside her wine, Caroline settled a little deeper into the hot water of her bath. "I take it your lunch wasn't a polite meeting of minds after all?"

His mouth tightened, head tipping back for a moment as he exhaled sharply. Caroline bit her lip as she took in the streak of blood along the line of his throat. For a brief moment she debated if it was worth climbing out of the tub to taste. They'd barely had time for a proper hello kiss earlier and with Klaus wearing his hybrid features, she was tempted to bite. She hadn't had a good, non-battery powered orgasm in exactly six months and Klaus fresh from a fight left her skin aching.

"No," he finally replied, chin lowering as his gaze returned to hers. It was a struggle not to shiver at the yellow lingering in his gaze. The slow curl of his mouth told her that she hadn't managed it as well as she hoped, not that she really minded. "A bit unfortunate, but it should expedite the issue. I'm certain they'll be much happier to deal with Elijah in the future."

Caroline briefly pressed her lips together to cover the start of a laugh. It wasn't often that Klaus looked disgruntled by murder, and it was unexpectedly hilarious. Clearing her throat, she reached for her glass of wine, and tried to school her face into something neutral. "I'm sure Elijah will be delighted to hear that."

"He'll manage," Klaus said with a careless wave of his hand. His gaze slipped along the room, lingering on the space she'd clearly marked as hers on the sink, her neat pile of discarded clothes and the robe she'd shamelessly stolen from his closet. "You, however, seem to have settled in nicely."

She lifted a shoulder. "You said to make myself comfortable."

"Hmm," he rumbled as he prowled forward and crouching next to the bathtub. Her fingers tightened on the glass she still held, breath catching in her throat as he smoothed a wispy curl away from her temple. His lips curled and he tugged her wine out of her hand and took a slow sip.

"So I did."

The movement as he swallowed was distracting. More importantly, he was home. She touched the corner of his jaw with wet fingers, eyes soft with invitation. The large, sunken tub was more than large enough for both of them.

"Care to join me?"

His eyes darkened, at the softness of her tone or her fingertips on his skin she didn't know. But when tip of his tongue traced across his lip Caroline decided it didn't matter. Six months was far too long to go without him. She curled her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck and leaned forward just high enough out to slid her tongue up the splatter of drying blood on his throat with a little hum of pleasure. The only way it would have tasted better would have been if it'd been his blood on her tongue. She scraped her teeth below his ear. "The only blood I want on your sheets is ours."

The wine glass hit the floor loud enough that she wasn't certain if he'd broken it or not, but then his head dipped, lips catching hers as he chased the blood and wine on her tongue. She decided he could clean up the glass later, and her mouth widened against his as her fingers tightened in his hair. Caroline shuddered as his hand cupped one slick breast, his thumb circling her nipple, and she decided he was to far away.

Fisting her hands into his ruined shirt, she pulled him into the water and on top of her. Water sloshed onto the floor and he grunted as his knee banged against the side. Caroline sucked on his tongue in apology, shifting to press her breasts flat against his chest as her knees bracketed his waist.

Klaus was far from passive, hand braced against the tub as he tangled his fingers in her now wet hair and angled her head in the direction he wanted. She moaned as his tongue licked across hers, the feel of his soaked dress pants against her thighs a delicate abrasion that left her clit throbbing.

When he pulled back his eyes were yellow and devouring, lips bruised and wet.

"Miss me, Caroline?" The words were rasped against her lips and she sighed into his mouth, her wet hands ruining his curls further. Her teeth scrapped lightly against his lower lip before she pulled back to answer, eyes holding his.

"What if I did?"

He tugged her neck further back and dragged the tip of his fangs down the arch of her neck. Her hips jerked against his and she whined as her clit dragged against his clothing. Klaus made a pleased little noise and licked across her collarbones.

"I've certainly missed you," he said without hesitation, head angling so his eyes could catch hers. His hand slipped lower, skimming down the line of her abdomen to trace the crease of her hip and thigh as he spoke. "Your scent on my sheets. The taste of you on my tongue. I even find myself missing the way you monopolize the bedding before you attempt to lay siege to my side of the mattress."

Her lips parted on an offended inhale that turned into a gasp as his fingers found her clit. The water was still pleasantly warm but his skin was always fever warm. The soaked fabric of his shirt ripped under her frantic grip and she arched closer, nails cutting into bare skin.

"Klaus."

He pressed closer, fingertips too light to satisfy. "Did you miss me, love?"

She bit his bottom lip bloody, both annoyed and greedy for his taste. He met her kiss with fangs and she didn't know whose blood lingered on her lips as she pulled back, breath harsh in her throat. "Yes."

His lips curled into something that sent her pulse skittering. His tongue swiped across her lower lip and he hummed. "Good."

His hand shifted to her ass and Caroline squeaked when she suddenly found their positions switched. Klaus had settled behind her, the dark fabric of his pants a stark contrast to the pale length of her legs as his knees settled between hers.

"Comfortable?"

It wasn't the word she'd have used, spread open on his lap, the hard points of her nipples barely beneath the water. Klaus was a solid, perfect line behind her and the hard ridge of his cock pressed against her ass through his clothing. "I was halfway to an orgasm. I'd be a lot more comfortable if you'd gotten me off."

His scruff brushed lightly against her cheek and he stroked his hand down her sternum, lingering just beneath her belly button for a few, breathless seconds before he lifted his hand and repeated the motion. "Only halfway? We'll have to do something about that. Though I do believe you've argued more than once about the benefits of relaxing, have you not? There is something to be said for nice and slow."

Her head landed on his shoulder with a faint thud. His name was nearly a whine as her toes pressed into his ankle. "Klaus…"

His lips brushed her temple. "Hands behind my neck."

Caroline knew she could probably talk him into letting her slid her hand between her thighs if she wanted it badly enough. Klaus enjoyed watching as much as she did, but she wasn't interested in her fingers. She wanted his hands on her skin and she wanted his cock inside her. Teeth biting into her lower lip hard enough draw blood, she linked her hands as he'd directed, the sounds of water splashing into the tub loud in the bathroom.

"Good girl," he murmured, skimming the flat of his palm up the trembling skin of her abdomen to cup her breast. His legs shifted and her ass slid against his cock as his knees spread her wider, and the rough noise he made was deeply satisfying. "Tell me Caroline, did you bring any of your toys with you?"

She shuddered, nails digging into his skin at the memory of the last time they'd played with her ever growing collection. "Yes, but I didn't want to use them."

He pinched her nipple and she moaned. "No? You've never minded me walking in on you before."

Her inhale was shaky, his words reminding her of just how much fun it was to tease him. To tease them both. It was hard to think when he was pulling on her nipples just hard enough to curl her toes, and the ache between her thighs turned into a throb. Sucking in a deep breath in an attempt to steady her voice, Caroline released his neck with one hand and twisted just far enough to see him out of her peripheral, nerves fluttering.

"Tonight I wanted you," her words were softer than she intended. "Your hands and your skin on mine, and your cock inside me."

Klaus' muscles tensed beneath her, hand dropping to flex against her ribs as his harsh exhale brushed along her temple. Caroline breathed in his silence for a dozen heartbeats before twisting around so that she could straddle him. She ignored the way her knees knocked against the side of the tub, intent on reading the cues in his expression.

"Caroline," he started, voice low and touched with gravel and she cut him off with the press of her mouth. Sliding her fingers into the tumble of his curls, she kept her mouth soft against his. She knew he wouldn't be satisfied by the shortness of her answer, and neither was she, but for a moment she luxuriated in the taste and feel of him, the pounding of her pulse in her ears.

Pulling back when even her lungs started to ache, Caroline dug her nails in lightly against his scalp just watch his lashes flutter. When his eyes met hers, they were dark and greedy. "No more teasing, Klaus."

His laugh was soft against her skin, darkly amused and throaty with his arousal. She shivered, and his hand slipped to grip her ass as he straightened his spine. When his spoke his words were scalding puffs of breath against her lips. "But you beg so pretty."

"You can't be serious."

His teeth caught her bottom lip for a moment, tongue sliding against the minor sting before he pulled back. The small, curling smile that tugged at his dimples was triumphant. "But I can. How much did you miss me, Caroline? It's been six months, love. Have you let someone else touch you in that time?"

She narrowed her eyes in aggravation. Why had she thought facing him for this conversation would be a good idea? When she tried to away, his fingers tangled in her hair, holding her close. His nose nudged hers, eyes glimmering.

"Caroline."

Lowering her chin, Caroline met the simmering challenge in his gaze. Baring the edge of her teeth, she hissed out a breath. "No, I didn't let anyone else touch me. It wasn't the same, I…"

Her words died on a whine as he caught her aching clit firmly between two fingers. Her hands scrabbled for purchase on his shoulders. His lips dragged softly down her throat, his little noise of pleasure as her nails dug into his skin a rumble against her neck. She gasped his name as his hand slid lower, two fingers slipping inside her to curl against fluttering walls.

"That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

Her nails tore through his shirt to leave gouges in his skin at his words, and his palm pressed roughly against her clit in response. He kissed her just as roughly, tongue hot against hers. His fingers curled inside her, and Caroline reared back with a short scream as her orgasm broke, body clapping down around Klaus hand as she trembled through it.

He pulled his hand free from the clamp of her thighs and brought his fingers to his mouth with a satisfied little noise of pleasure. Her thighs switched, arousal fresh and demanding, and she glanced down at the slacks that still invaded his legs.

"You should have taken off your pants."

Klaus dragged his nails lightly down her belly, his tone indulgent. "Someone didn't give me much of a chance."

Caroline swallowed a moan and scrabbled at his belt, her shaky fingers struggling. Klaus pinched her nipples and the button snapped under her grasping fingers. She ripped away the cloth to free him, not even bother to yank what was left down his thighs. She'd just gotten off but it wasn't enough. She wanted to come again and she wanted Klaus inside her when she did it.

He helped steady before letting her sink down the first inch of his cock. One hand gripped her hip and the other slipped beneath her thigh to grip her butt as he held her still. She groaned her complaint, body clenching around what she could.

"Klaus," she panted, nails digging into his neck. "I want you inside me. Right now."

His tongue snaked across his lips, fingers digging into the curve of her ass. "Such impatience. Have I not already told you that I missed you? The flush of along your cheeks and breasts, the feel of you sinking so slowly onto my cock, and I wish to savor them."

She shook her head, wisps of curls dancing across her cheeks. "Later, savor me later."

His smile turned wicked. "No."

Klaus' shirt tore apart under her hands, and the muscles along his jaw draw tight as he slowly lowered her along the lengths of him. She was panting, head tipped back as he filled her, body hot and slick. The water was cool against her fever hot skin, and she squeeze him tightly once she'd settled. He groaned, breath a rasp in his throat, and his fingers dug tightly into her flesh.

"Eyes on me, Caroline."

She shuddered at his tone, forced her eyes open as her head lowered. His grip shifted and he rocked into her and she met the motion with a roll of her hips and a soft sigh, her clit a steady throb for attention.

"I'll draw you just like this," he rasped,voice slow and deliberate. "You're eyes dark and hazy, the way your lips part just so as I fill you with my cock. Later, I'll paint it. Perhaps you'll even agree to pose for me; well fucked and pretty in my studio so that I can perfect on canvas the shade of your nipples after they've been in my mouth, hmm?"

A pang of arousal had her trembling against him and he splayed his hand wide on her ass. Shuddering put his name, her lashes fluttered as he adjust his hips.

"Move."

"Not yet."

His fingers snaked between them, careful against her sensitive clit, and it was a struggle to maintain eye contact as he touched her. Desperate, she brought one hand up to cup her breast, to tug sharply at her nipple as the sensations built. His eyes never left her face, even when she leaned close, and her fangs were clumsy against his mouth as she drew blood.

The taste of his blood pushed her over and Klaus' groan mingled with her cries. Her forehead pressed against his as she planted against his mouth. His mouth shifted to meet hers as her breathing slowed, his kiss slow and almost languid even though his cock was still hot and hard inside her.

"I believe that's two orgasms now, sweetheart."

Linking her arms around his neck, she leaned forward to kiss the dimple peeking out from his cheek. "Hmm, much better than being only halfway."

His smile deepend against her lips, shoulders shaking with a silent laugh but when he pulled back his eyes were serious. Tongue running across his mouth, he traced the curve of her mouth with his thumb. "I grow tired of this bath. I cannot smell you properly."

Her eyes widened as he adjusted his grip before standing in a smooth motion. She curled her legs around his waist, shuddering as the shift of her weight and the change of angle pushed him deeper inside her. Gripping his neck, she breathed against his mouth as water dripped back into the tub. Klaus kicked away the tangled remains of his pants, and Caroline's eyes slid tightly shut at the way he moved inside her.

"Do not drop me."

He gripped her ass and hauled her higher, teeth sharp against her ear. "I would never."

Any thought of falling or of the mess in still in the bath disappeared as Klaus strode towards the double sink. One hand lifted to fist in her hair and his kiss was voracious, tongue and fangs playing against her mouth until they were both breathing heavy. "Unwind your legs, love. I want to fuck you in front of the mirrors so we can both watch."

She moaned at his words, and couldn't help the little noise of complaint as she did as he asked. Klaus angled her head with the hand fisted in her hair to run his teeth along the length of her neck before he spun her around. Her hair band was a quick casualty, and her wet curls tumbled around her shoulders as he urged her hands onto the counter top. For a moment, Caroline could only stare at the picture they made in the mirror. Disheveled, dripping bathwater, with blood smeared across both their faces and she shivered at how good they looked. Biting her lip, she shivered as he pressed close, his eyes glittering hybrid gold.

She shivered as his fingers slid back into her hair, the heat of his chest scalding down the line of his spine. His lips brushed her ear as he positioned himself, knee nudging her legs wider before he pressed against her entrance. "Okay?"

She nodded, lashes fluttering at the feet of his cock brushing against her clit. "Yes, god, Klaus. More."

The first snap of his hips had her fingernails bending against the granite of the sink. His hand on her belly titled her hips and her vision wavered on the next thrust, the feel of him hitting everything inside her so perfectly. She couldn't quite watch his cock fill her, but the bounce of her breasts, the picture of his red mouth on her shoulder as he moved inside ramped her arousal higher. She could hear just how wet she was but she couldn't care. Not when he was inside her and finally moving exactly how she needed it.

"Come for me," Caroline demanded, barely recognizing the roughness of her voice. "I want to feel it."

His teeth bit sharply into her shoulder, and the pain only heightened her pleasure as he tugged at her hair. Blood spilled down her skin and her monster loved the color of it, the way it stained his mouth and chin as he titled his head in the mirror. Her stomach pulled taut, thighs trembling with her building release.

"Such demands, sweetheart." His hand up her stomach to skim through the blood dripping down her shoulder before he covered her breast with his bloody fingers. "When you are so lovely just like this and at my mercy."

"How can you not want to get off?" Caroline question in-between pants. Her eyes squeezed shut at a particularly perfect thrust, knees wobbling. He held her steady, but the uneven rise and falls of his chest and the shake of his fingers against her nipple told her he was riding the same edge. "Tie me up later if you must, but I want to come again. Now. With you."

There was a potent silence as her words faded between them. For moment she thought Klaus was going to ignore her words and continue to tease her with his ridiculous self control. But then his fingers were nearly painful on her breast as his grip tightened and the snap of his hips pushed a short cry from her lips.

"Watch," he rasped harshly.

Her eyes opened obediently and it didn't take long before she was rocking back into him, her eyes glued to the lines of his throat. His palm dragged back down her body, smearing a trail of blood down her pale skin, and a quick pinch of her clit was all she needed to pitch over the edge for a third time. This time Klaus chased his release, hips snapping against hers before he spilled curses against her skin.

Caroline leaned heavily against the sink as he breathed heavily against her. She spoke after several long moments of trying to get her heartbeat under control. "Pretty sure I need another shower."

Klaus pressed a soft kiss the curve of her neck. "Later. I believe you offered to let me tie you to the bed, and I plan to spill across her skin at least once before I let you come."

Her thighs clenched together at the promise in his voice. He'd do exactly as he promised and tie her to the bed, The he'd pet her into a flushed, aroused mess before kneeling between her thighs and stroking himself. He'd let her watch, his fingers curled tight around his shaft while he murmured all the wicked things he loved about her mouth. He'd linger, because it worked her up and they both enjoyed the tease.

It took a moment to find her voice. "I didn't bring any ties."

His eyes gleamed as they met hers in mirror. "I did. A set of spelled silk scarves. I've been wanting to see the color of them against your skin for some time. How close they match the post-orgasm blue of your eyes."

There was only one good answer to that.

"Take me to bed."

* * *

 

Caroline shifted beneath the blanket Klaus had rescued from the floor, sated and drowsy. The silk scarves had been a lot of fun. Caroline wondered if she could manage to talk him into letting her use them on him. A few hours testing Klaus' patience with her would absolutely be worth whatever he bargained for in return.

He'd taken her words about wanting only their blood on the sheets seriously and she wasn't sure much besides the blanket and pillows had survived unscathed. Not that she really minded. Klaus had never flinched from her appetites, sexual or otherwise. Instead he seemed to delight in meeting them, and the monster she'd struggled to understand as a teenager was never happier than with his blood on her fangs.

His teeth in her throat.

Parting her lashes, Caroline's lips curved as she took Klaus in. It was unlikely that he was truly sleeping as he needed far less rest than her, even after the afternoon they'd just shared, but it was still a sight watching him drowse. Face down, his hair as wild as her own, he looked as relaxed and content as she'd ever seen him. The abrasions along his back and shoulders from her nails had healed, only the lingering flecks of dried blood remaining. She'd probably find similar stains beneath her nails and arousal stirred at the thought.

She could clear the distance between them in a single move and press her lips to the muscle of his biceps. Taste the texture of his skin on her tongue and drag her teeth down the hard ridge she'd find. Caroline knew he'd meet her intentions instantly but she found herself content to just be.

It struck her that they rarely spent time together like this. Neither of them tended to sit still long enough to have these kind of simple, intimately quiet moments. Most of their time together was usually spent cramming as much physicality into a single moment as possible.

It wasn't enough anymore.

She wanted this too. Lazy post-coital cuddling without any kind of plan. Just her and Klaus beneath the sheets or a lazy morning over breakfast in their kitchen. She wondered if he kept comfortable furniture i his studios so she could relax and read while he painted or if he'd make room for her if he hadn't already. She had a million questions and wanted the answers so badly she found herself tongue tied.

"Now who's being creepy," Klaus murmured into the silence between them as if he sensed her thoughts, his lips curving as he banded back her usual complaint of waking to find him watching her. His expression was boyish, his tease full of gruff affection, and Caroline poked his calf with her toes.

"Only seems fair. You rarely sit still long enough to that I get to ogle you. Girl's gotta take an opportunity when she can."

He made a roughly amused sound low in his throat before rolling to his side and studying her. His gaze was contemplative and she bore his scrutiny with as much patience she could manage. "You didn't seem to enjoy a similar argument when I made it."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "I don't creepily sketch people while they are sleeping."

"Yet, you didn't seem to mind my earlier suggestion of either the drawing or the painting," Klaus pointed out, lips lowering to trace the curve of her mouth.

She sputtered out a laugh. "Your proposition in the middle of sex? Should have I have taken that seriously?"

His brow arched. "Do you think I do not mean what I say to you, Caroline?"

She rolled her eyes at the note in his voice and shifted closer, tossing her leg over his calves to hold him in place. "Klaus, you were inside me for the first time in months. I wasn't giving much thought to the realities of you painting me post-sex."

His chin dipped, breath ghosting across her chin. "I have a studio in all my homes, love."

Heat flushed across her cheeks at his words and she swallowed at the way his smile turned a touch lascivious. Sitting on his cock he'd felt every flutter and every twitch of her muscles, so there was little point in denying she'd enjoyed the idea of what he'd described. But it was one thing to fantasize about his words and something else to let him put her on canvas. Naked and flushed and probably dripping.

Caroline was pretty sure she'd be into it as much as she enjoyed watching and enjoying being watched. But not immediately. "Maybe another time."

"And when will the next time be, Caroline?" Klaus questioned, eyes narrowing. "How long will I continue to have you with me for mere weeks at a time before you grow bored and walk away for months, years?"

Caroline shook her head violently, stung by his words. "It's not like that."

"No?" He questioned, skin drawn tight over his cheekbones. "Perhaps. I grow tired of watching you leave, Caroline. To have your affection and then to have you take it away?"

Her eyes softened. "Klaus… I…"

His mouth compressed into a thin line as she struggled for words and he sat up with a flex of muscle. His expression cooled, temper darkening his eyes. "I made reservation for dinner. We should head out soon if you wish to make them."

Caroline lunged across the mattress and curled her fingers tightly around his wrist to stop his exit from the bed. His gaze shifted back to her, eyes glittering, but he didn't try to break her grip. Her words were rushed, and only the fitness of her grip kept her fingers from trembling.

"I want more of this, Klaus. Not less."

"And here is thought you'd enjoy a night out. Shall we miss our reservations then?" His head tipped to the side, eyes dropping to her bare breasts. "I don't mind of course, but you rarely enjoy evenings in while in a new city."

Caroline dug her nails into his skin, uncaring as she smelled fresh blood. "Yeah, let's not act like we didn't both enjoy this afternoon. But I'm not just talking about sex, you ass. Let me talk before you get all bent out of shape, okay? I don't want to fight."

His eyes flared, the ring of yellow around his pupils attesting to his temper. "Then what are you attempting to say, Caroline?"

She bared the edge of her teeth. "Us, Klaus. I want more of us."

The muscles underneath her fingers turned to stone. Caroline absorbed the stunned expression on his face, the surprise he couldn't hide. She was certain such an expression would be rare, and it was one she didn't want to forget.

Tugging lightly on his wrist, she took a deep breath. "I told you I'd missed you and I meant it. When I leave here, I want you to come with me or for me to go with you. I don't want to do this alone anymore, I want to try. As insane as I might be for it, you're not the only one who is tired of me leaving."

Her words hitched in her throat at the look behind his eyes, the way he devoured every twitch of her expression, the shape of the words on her lips. It was impossible to feel anything but breathless, but her fingers still twitched with lingering nerves.

Klaus' eyes narrowed at the small shift of her weight, and he twisted his hand, catching her wrist in turn and he pulled her across the bed. She fell into him with a noise of surprise, and he caught her jaw with a firm hand.

"Be sure, Caroline." His voice was soft and firm, the wolf clear in his eyes. "Because once you commit to this, to me, I don't intend to let you walk away. I plan on being very persuasive."

Her lips trembled even as she smiled and she threaded her fingers through the curls at his nape. "Good. I like it when you get creative."

Instead of responding to her tease, he fitted his mouth to hers. The kiss was hot and wet and very persuasive. She shuddered out a breath when he pulled back, and his tongue snaked across his lips as if to savor her taste. She shivered, breasts pressing against his chest and between them, his cock stirred to life. She bit down on her lower lip to keep parting her thighs wider from rubbing against him as arousal flushed through her veins.

"I thought we had reservations?"

Klaus smiled, slow and wicked. "We have time for a long shower."

Caroline couldn't help her burbling laughter as he scooped her up and headed for the bathroom. For once, she refused to let lingering mess of wine and Klaus clothes scattered in the tub bother her. They'd deal with it later. Right then, the glitter in his eyes, the brightness of the happiness she could read clearly on his face was far more important.

They were finally going to give eternity a go.


End file.
